Cable-strut combination driven parallel robotic palletizer

Abstract

A combined rope-rod-driven parallel palletizing robot, comprises a chassis, wherein, a base driving mechanism is arranged on the chassis, a torque transfer mechanism is mounted on the base driving mechanism, a top gearbox is mounted on the top of the torque transfer mechanism, a gib arm is movably connected to the top gearbox, and a mechanical arm end tool is arranged on the movable end of the gib arm to operate a work object; the robot further comprises three steel wire rope drivers and three corresponding steel wire ropes, the three steel wire rope drivers are located on the chassis and evenly distributed around the base driving mechanism. In the present invention, the top gearbox and the torque transfer mechanism are driven by a rope to execute two-freedom spatial movement, so as to do palletizing work in a bigger work space.

We claim: 
     
       1. A combined rope-rod-driven parallel palletizing robot, comprising:
 a base driving mechanism arranged on a chassis, the base mechanism comprising a base-driving internal torque structure and a base-driving external torque structure, wherein the base-driving internal torque structure and a base-driving external torque structure are driven by a plurality driving motors to generate torque internally and externally respectively; 
 a torque transfer mechanism mounted on the base driving mechanism, the torque transfer mechanism comprising an external torque transfer mechanism and an internal torque transfer mechanism, 
 the external torque transfer mechanism, including six steel transfer wire ropes, transferring a first torque from a base torque output disk to a top gearbox mounted on the top of the torque transfer mechanism; 
 an internal torque transfer mechanism transferring a second torque from a base internal torque transfer shaft affixed to the torque transfer mechanism to the a gearbox on a gib arm; wherein the first and second torque is converted by the top gearbox to drive the gib arm to rotate and lift; 
 the gib arm, movably connected to the top gearbox, comprising 
 a forearm mounted on the lower part of a top gearbox lower torque output shaft extending from the top gearbox; 
 a movable end comprising a mechanical arm end tool arranged on the movable end of the gib arm and configured to operate a work object; 
 three steel wire rope drivers located on the chassis and arranged evenly around the base driving mechanism, with three steel outer wire ropes corresponding to each of the three steel wire rope drivers; 
 wherein when the robot is driven such that the combined rope-rod-driven parallel palletizing robot performs handling and palletizing actions. 
 
     
     
       2. The combined rope-rod-driven parallel palletizing robot according to  claim 1 , wherein, the base driving mechanism further comprising:
 a base internal torque output shaft arranged above a base, mounted with a first gear thereon and is operably connected to a first driving motor, 
 a second gear arranged on the output shaft of the first driving motor such that the second gear is engaged with the first gear, wherein the first driving motor drives the base internal torque output shaft via the second gear and the first gear; and 
 a base external torque transfer shaft, arranged below the base, including an upper part of the base external torque transfer shaft being fixed in the base and further including with a third gear mounted thereon operably coupled to a second driving motor mounted on one side of the base, 
 a base torque output disk fixedly mounted below the base external torque transfer shaft; 
 a fourth gear arranged on the output shaft of the second driving motor such that the fourth gear is engaged with the third gear, wherein the second driving motor drives the base external torque output shaft via the fourth gear and the third gear, and the base external torque transfer shaft in turn drives the base torque output disk mounted below; 
 wherein a lower part of the base internal torque output shaft is fixed to the base external torque transfer shaft; and the base internal torque output shaft and the base external torque output shaft rotate coaxially and independently without interference between them; 
 wherein the angle between the axes of the base internal torque output shaft and the base external torque output shaft of the base driving mechanism and horizontal plane are 45°, so as to maximize the utilization of the work space according to the working environment for conventional handling and palletizing work. 
 
     
     
       3. The combined rope-rod-driven parallel palletizing robot according to  claim 2 , wherein, six steel wire rope knuckle bearings in a first group and a second group-are mounted evenly on the base torque output disk and the gearbox torque input disk respectively; and
 wherein the first group of steel wire rope knuckle bearings are fixed to the base torque output disk via knuckle bearing end caps, the knuckle bearing end caps are fixed by bearing end cap fixing screws; 
 wherein a steel wire rope connection clamp are arranged in the first group of steel wire rope knuckle bearing, the steel wire rope connection clamp is tapered and configured to use deformation to clamp a torque transfer steel wire rope automatically; 
 wherein the torque transfer steel wire rope are mounted to a steel wire rope end knuckle bearing via the steel wire rope connection clamp; 
 wherein the mounting way of the second group of steel wire rope knuckle bearings on the gearbox torque input disk and the internal setting of the second group of steel wire rope knuckle bearings are the same as those of the first group of steel wire rope knuckle bearings; 
 wherein the two ends of six torque transfer steel wire ropes are mounted into the first and second groups of steel wire rope knuckle bearings respectively; 
 wherein when the base torque output disk is driven by the driving motor to rotate, the torque transfer steel wire rope rotates along with the base torque output disk, so as to accomplish upward transfer of the external torque. 
 
     
     
       4. The combined rope-rod-driven parallel palletizing robot according to  claim 3 , wherein a center of a sphere in each of the first and second groups of steel wire rope knuckle bearings is located in the same plane and each sphere is configured to keep the torque transfer steel wire rope in vertical state; and
 wherein the center points of the first universal coupling and the second universal coupling are in the same plane as the centers of spheres of the first and second groups of steel wire rope knuckle bearings respectively, to meet the geometric requirements of the movement of the mechanism. 
 
     
     
       5. The combined rope-rod-driven parallel palletizing robot according to  claim 1 , wherein, the torque transfer mechanism further comprising:
 an intermediate shaft with two universal couplings, a first universal coupling and a second universal coupling, each with two ends, the first and second universal couplings being arranged at one end on the lower part and upper part of the intermediate shaft respectively; 
 wherein the other end of the lower, first universal coupling is connected to the base internal torque transfer shaft; 
 wherein the other end of the upper, second universal coupling is connected to a torque input shaft of the top gearbox configured to transfer the internal torque of the base internal torque transfer shaft upwards along the intermediate shaft. 
 
     
     
       6. The combined rope-rod-driven parallel palletizing robot according to  claim 1 , wherein, the top gearbox further comprises
 a gearbox casing; 
 a gearbox torque input mechanism arranged in the gearbox casing, further including a gearbox torque input shaft fixed in a gearbox torque input disk; 
 the gearbox torque input disk arranged with a bronze wear ring and a spacing ring limiting the bronze wear ring to the gearbox torque input disk, wherein the bronze wear ring is fixedly connected the gearbox casing leaving only one degree of freedom for the bronze wear ring to rotate around the axis of the gearbox torque input disk; 
 a gearbox lower torque output mechanism comprises a gearbox lower torque output shaft including two through-holes are drilled in a lower part of the gearbox lower torque output shaft to mount a forearm and an ancillary forearm; 
 a gearbox upper torque output mechanism comprises a gearbox upper torque output shaft, which is arranged with a steel wire reel thereon; 
 a first bevel gear is mounted on the top gearbox lower torque output shaft, 
 a second bevel gear mounted on the gearbox upper torque output shaft; 
 a third bevel gear mounted on the gearbox torque input shaft and engaged with the second bevel gear, wherein the torque on the gearbox torque input shaft is transferred via the third bevel gear, the second bevel gear, and the top gearbox upper torque output shaft into the steel wire reel to drive the steel wire reel to rotate; 
 a fourth bevel gear mounted on the gearbox torque input disk and engaged with the first bevel gear, wherein the torque on the gearbox torque input disk is transferred via the fourth bevel gear and the first bevel gear into the top gearbox lower torque output shaft configured to drive the top gearbox lower torque output shaft to rotate. 
 
     
     
       7. The combined rope-rod-driven parallel palletizing robot according to  claim 1 , wherein the gearbox casing is further comprising:
 a steel wire rope guide device comprising
 a steel wire rope guide device mounting base connected by a steel wire rope with a steel wire rope positioning device, the steel wire rope mounting base further including three evenly distributed steel wire rope pull rings; 
 a hollow rotating shaft rotatably fixed on the steel wire rope guide device mounting base, and 
 
 a pulley block fixing base mounted on the hollow rotating shaft and rotating along with the hollow rotating shaft, the pulley block fixing base further including four evenly distributed tangential pulleys and steel wire rope limit blocks mounted on the pulley block fixing base via pulley fixing bolts, nuts and washers, wherein the rope groove of each pulley among the four tangential pulleys is arranged in a quadrant of the pully block fixing base; 
 wherein when the angle of the steel wire rope is changed, the steel wire rope applies force on the steel wire rope limit blocks, so that the hollow rotating shaft rotates and the angles of the pulleys are consistent with the direction of the steel wire rope. 
 
     
     
       8. The combined rope-rod-driven parallel palletizing robot according to  claim 1 , wherein, the gib arm further comprises
 an ancillary forearm mounted on the lower part of a top gearbox lower torque output shaft with a lower part, the lower torque output shaft extending from the top gearbox; 
 wherein the rear ends of both the forearm and the ancillary forearm are mounted on the lower part of the top gearbox lower torque output shaft, 
 a wrist driving motor mounted on a wrist driving motor mounting platform positioned on a front ends of the forearm and on a front ends of the ancillary forearm; 
 wherein the front end of the forearm is connected with a forearm steel wire rope to a steel wire reel, and the forearm steel wire rope passes through a round hole formed by four tangential pulleys, through a hollow rotating shaft, and through a round hole formed by the rope groove of a secondary pulley; 
 wherein the forearm, the ancillary forearm, and the wrist driving motor mounting platform form a parallelogram, so as to maintain the attitude of the wrist; and 
 wherein the gib arm is driven to sway up and down as the forearm steel wire rope is stretched or retracted respectively by one of the three steel wire rope drivers.